Tool for rail joints



May 23, 1933. I s HiPPEY 1,910,833

TOOL FOR RAIL JOINTS Filed July 18, 1931 jiiFW/A WITNEESES 1NVENTOR:

Patented May 23, 1933 PATENT OFFICE EDWIN S. HIPPEY, OI WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA TOOL FOR RAIL JOINTS Application filed July 18,

This invention relates to tools for rail joints, and more particularly to tools adapted to clamp joint bars at opposite sides of a rail joint preparatory to the application of the nuts and bolts which secure the joint bars together with the rail ends gripped therebetween.

The object of this invention is to provide a tool for handily performing the operations 19 of positioning joint barsin opposite alignment, of drawing the joint bars together to seat them in predetermined positions in fishing engagement with the rails, and of main taining the joint bars in such engagement while the nuts and bolts are applied, thus greatly simplifying the work incident to assembling the elements of a rail joint.

Other more specific objects and advantages characterizing my invention will be 29 come more fully apparent from the description hereinafter of one example or embodiment of the practice thereof, having referonce to the accompanying drawing.

Of the drawing:

Fig. I represents a side elevation of a tool of my invention as applied to a rail joint.

Fig. II represents ancnd elevation of the same.

Fig. III represents a cross section, taken as indicated by the lines III-III of Fig. I.

Fig. IV represents a perspective View of a jaw of the joint bartool, showing the face thereof and,

Fig. Y. represents a similar perspective view of the jaw, showing the back thereof.

In the drawing, a rail is designated at 1, and at each side of the rail joint there are mounted. joint bars 2 of conventional form. The tool for clampingtogether the joint bars 2 in fishing engagement with the rail comprises generally a pair of arms 3, 3 pivoted together on a pin 45, opposite jaws 5 fulcrumed for independent or free movement at pins 6 on the lower ends of the arms 3, 3, and means, preferably in the form of a toggle joint, for drawing the lower ends of the arms 3 together. Each arm 3, 3 is in the form of a bell crank lever. One such arm 3 includes a bifurcated joint 7 withinwhich the corresponding portionofthe other arm 1931. Serial No. 551,618.

3 is fitted and pivotally connected. The arm 3 also includes a bifurcated upper end 8, within which a handle 9 is accommodated, the handle being pivoted at a pin 10. A pair of opposite links 11 is pivoted at a pin 12 on the upper end of the arm 3 and at a pin 13 on the handle 9. In an obvious manner depression of the handle 9 serves,

through the toggle mechanism described, to V draw together the lower ends of the arms 3, 3 about the parts of the rail joint.

The pivoted arms 3, 3 are so designed as to straddle the rail 1 to which the tool is applied with the jaws 5 carried between the top surface of the rail head 14 and the bottom surface of the rail base 15. Each jaw 5is preferably of T-shaped cross section, and is provided at its inner face with stepped formations adapted to bear upon portions of the adjacent joint bar and rail. In the example shown in the drawing, the inner face of each jaw includes near the top thereof a flat vertical surface 16 adapted to bear against the side of the rail head, a downwardly and outwardly inclined surface 17 and a flat vertical surface 18 adapted to bear upon the head of a joint bar'2. At the center of the inner face of each jaw 5, a pin or projection 19 is provided, this pin or projection being adapted to fit snugly within abolt hole, as shown at 20, of the joint bar 2. Beneath the pin or projection 19 an additional flat vertical surface 21 is provided, this surface being adapted to bear upon the base of the joint bar 2. At the bottom of the jaw 5 there is still another vertical flat face 22 stepped outward from the surface 21 and adapted to bear against the edge of the rail base 15. The four flat surfaces 16, 18, 21 and 22 are thus disposed in parallel spaced relation and conform to corresponding surfaces of an assembled rail joint.

The operation of the tool is as follows: Joint bars, such as shown at 2, are first loosely mounted at the ends of adjoining rails where a joint is to be formed. The tool is then caused to straddle the rail, and the pins 19 on the jaws 5 are inserted within corresponding bolt holes (preferably either of the two middle bolt holes) of the opposite joint bars. Thereafter the actuating handle 9 of the tool is pressed downward to draw the lower ends of the arms 3, 3 together. As the jaws 5 approach each other, the oint bars 2 are drawn together into fishing engagement with the rails 1. The movement of the lower ends of the arms 3,3 towards each other will continue until the jaws 5 are in contact with the rail head 14 at their vertical surfaces 18 and with the rail base 15 at their vertical surfaces 22. At this point the joint bars 2 will have been seated by their engagement with the jaw surfaces 18 and 21 in their correct positions on the rails and in proper relation to each other with corresponding bolt holes in opposite alignment. With the joint bars 2 thus seated and clamped together in the desired predetermined positions on the rails, the bolts of the rail joint, with the exception of that bolt which is to be used at the bolt holes where the tool is applied, are inserted, and their nuts are drawn up. Thereafter the tool is removed and the last remaining bolt is inserted and its nut screwed thereon.

From the above description it will be apparent that the tool of my invention affords a comparatively simple means for expediting the assembly of joint bars at a rail joint, and that considerable time and labor may be saved by the use of this tool as compared with the manual operations heretoforerinvolved in the assembling of a rail oint. The tool is especially useful by reason of its capacity to seat the joint bars in proper relation to the rails by merely applying force at the actuating handle.

hile I have shown in the drawing a particular form of joint bar, it will of course be apparent that the awe of the tool may be designed for use in connection with many other types of joint bars, and that by providing a set of differently formed jaws, the tools may readily be converted for use with any particular type of joint bar. Furthermore, the described toggle joint through which the arms 3, 3 are swung about their pivotal connection 4 represents merely one example of mechanism which, is contemplated clamping the arms together. It will also be apparent that various other changes may be made in the form of the apparatus herein described and illustrated without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the claims hereto annexed.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim:

1. A tool for applying joint bars to rails comprising pivoted arms adapted to straddle a rail; means for drawing said arms together, and jaws fulcrumed for independent movement on said arms, said jaws having pins adapted to lit within bolt holes of the joint bars.

2. A tool for applying joint bars to rails comprising pivoted arms adapted to straddle a rail, means for drawing said arms together, and opposite jaws fulcrumed freely on said arms and having surfaces adapted to bear upon the joint bars and additional surfaces adapted to bear upon the head and base of the rail when the joint bars have been drawn together to predetermined positions. I

3. A tool for applying joint bars to rails comprising pivoted arms adapted to straddle a rail, means for drawing said arms together, and awe fulcrumed for independent movement on said arms, said jaws having stepped formations adapted to bear upon portions of the joint bars and portions of the rail to seat said joint bars on the rail in predetermined positions when said arms are drawn together.

4. A tool for applying joint bars to rails comprising pivoted arms adapted to straddle a rail, means for drawing said arms together, and jaws fulcrumed for independent movement on said arms, said jaws having pins adapted to fit within bolt holes of the joint bars, and having stepped formations adapted to bear upon the head and base of the rail and upon portions of the joint bars,

' whereb the drawin to ether of said arms causes said joint bars to be seated in predetermined positions on the rail and with their bolt holes in opposite alignment.

5. A tool for applying joint bars to rails comprising pivoted arms adapted to straddle a rail, a toggle joint for drawing said arms together, and jaws on said arms having formations adapted to bear upon the joint bars to seat them in predetermined positions on the rail when said arms are drawn together. i

6. A-tool for applying joint bars to rails comprising pivoted arms in the form of bell crank levers, a handle with its end attached to the upper end of one arm, 'a. link connecting the upper end of another arm with an intermediate portion of said handle, and jaws fulcrumed on the lower ends of said arms and adapted to bear upon said joint bars to seat them in predetermined positions on the rail when said handle is operated to draw the lower ends of said arms together.

7. A tool for applying joint bars to rails comprising pivoted arms adapted to straddle a rail, means for drawing said arms together, and opposite jaws fulcrumed freely on'said arms, said jaws having inner faces with stepped surfaces adapted to bear upon portions of the rail and joint bars whereby the joint bars may be seated in predetermined positions on the rail when said arms are drawn together.

8. A tool for applying joint bars to rails eomprisingarms adapted to straddle a rail, means for drawing said arms together, each of said arms being pivotally connected independently of each other to said means, and opposite jaws fulcrumed freely on said arms having formations adapted to bear upon the joint barsto seat them in predetercomprising arms adapted to straddle a rail,

. means for drawing said arms together, each of said arms being pivotally connected independently of each other to said means, and jaws on said arms having projections adapted to fit within bolt holes of the joint bar.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Williamsport, Pennsyl- Vania, this tenth day of July, 1931.

EDWIN S. HIPPEY. 

